Specimen taking tool



Oct. 23, 1962 H. R. HUSTAD 3,059, 0

SPECIMEN TAKING TOOL Filed May 5, 1959 INVEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,059,640 SPECIMEN TAKING TOOL Hugo R. Hust'ad, 510Dixboro Road, Rte. 5, Ann Arbor Township, Washtenaw County, Mich. FiledMay 5, 1959, Ser. No. 811,114 4 Claims. (Cl. 123-263) My inventionrelates to tools and particularly to specimen taking tools, the generalobject of the invention being to provide a tool for holding securely indetermined position material used for the sampling of cervical fluid atthe neck of the cervix in the human vagina.

Details of my invention and its construction are shown incorporated inthe structure disclosed on the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the tool base with a slidelock in positionto be inserted into the tool base,

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 at FIG. 3 shows across section of FIG..1 at bb,

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of a portion of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 shows the tool in operative assembly.

The complete tool as shown in FIG. 1 consists of: a tool base element 1with curved handle 2, a three-surfaced slot 3 open at end 4 under theupward curve of said handle 2, and extending under a short cover portion5 at the operational end 6 (see also FIG. 4) of said tool base 1, thebottom surface 7 (see also FIG. 2) of said slot 3 being wider than openside 8 (see also FIG. 4) of said slot 3, a notch 9 a short distance backfrom said operational end 6 and opposite said open side 8, said notch 9having an angular corner 10, a hole 11 from said notch 9 to said slot 3,and the Widening 12 (see FIG. 4) of said open side 8 near and to saidcover portion 5; and a slidelock element 13 shaped as in cross sectionb-b shown in FIG. 3 to fit into said slot 3, said slide-lock 13 havingtaper 14 to slide with decreasing clearance under said cover portion 5,and said slide-lock 13 having a raised thumb-knob 15 to facilitate theoperation of said slidelock 13 within said slot 3. FIG. 5 shows a stripof material 16 held firmly on said operational end 6 of said completetool in a pressure-lock position.

For use: the slide-lock 13 is inserted into slot 3 to a point short ofhole 11; the first end of strip 16 is threaded into hole 11 from notch 9and extended into slot 3; slidelock 13 is pushed toward operational end6 to securely hold (with aid of angular corner the first end of strip 16between bottom surface 7 and slide-lock 13; the loose second end ofstrip 16 is extended around operational end 6 and into widening 12 ofslot 3 (the widening 12 being for easy insertion of strip 16); andslide-lock 13 is pushed under cover portion 5 until the second end ofstrip 16 is held in a pressure-lock position between cover portion 5 andtaper 1 4 as a result of the decreasing clearance between cover portion5 and taper 14.

The operational end 6 of the tool with the strip of material 16 heldsecure is inserted into the vagina with curved handle 2 pointing upwardand until operational end 6 presses against the neck of the cervix andstrip 16 is at the cervical canal for the sampling of the cervicalfluid. The curved handle 2 facilitates handling of the tool and makescertain that strip 16 faces upward for contact with the cervix extendingdownward. On removal of the tool from the vagina, the strip 16 is easilyreleased from the tool by using thumb-knob 15 to slide slide-lock 13away from operational end 6.

I have shown a practical and efiieient embodiment of the variousfeatures of my invention, and I do not desire to be limited to the exactconstruction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changesand modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as outlined in the accompanying claims.

I claim as follows:

1. A tool for holding securely a strip of material exposed at one end ofsaid tool, said tool having: a base element and an integral slide-lockelement; said base element and said slide-lock element so shaped inrelation one to the other as to increase and reduce the clearancebetween portions of said elements as relative positions are changed bysliding said slide-lock element in said base element; and two openingsin said base element one each for opposite ends of a strip of materialto be inserted into positions which will place said strip ends betweensaid portions of said elements by sliding said slidelock element in saidbase element.

2. A tool for holding a strip of material exposed along a portion of oneside of said tool and extending over one end of said tool, said toolhaving: a base element and a sliding element; a channel in said baseelement shaped for holding in position said sliding element; a hole fromsaid channel to a side of said base element for threading a first end ofsaid strip for exposure of said first end into said channel; saidsliding element for folding and holding said first strip-end against asurface of said channel; and a cover portion over one end of saidchannel around and under which cover portion the second end of saidstrip can be placed, and under which cover portion said sliding elementwill slide to hold said second strip-end.

3. A tool as under claim 2: said hole opening into a notch on said side;said notch having an angular edge over which edge said strip is bent;said channel widening toward and at said cover portion; and said slidingelement having a tapered end to slide-under said cover portion toprovide a decreasing clearance between said cover portion and saidtapered end as said tapered end is pushed under said cover portion.

4. A tool as under claim 3 having a curved handle and having athumb-knob on said sliding element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,224,735 Gamache et al May 1, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS 857,677 France Apr.22, 1940 460,123 Italy Oct. 19, 19-50

